Using GPS in the year 1565

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2024-11-19 10:00:05

We didn’t have GPS until a few decades ago (it took some relativity theory, satellites and microelectronics). But we have had fantastic maps for thousands of years. So how about combining both, and doing some GPS positioning on very old maps?

It’s possible, and I love how it’s done. There’s an wonderful web app by Bert Spaan that’s named Allmaps Here: https://here.allmaps.org

Allow the website to use your location. It works on your smartphone and your computer. You’ll get an overview of some georeferenced maps nearby. Just click one of those maps, and it will show your location on that old map.

Antwerp is the city I live in, and I’ve rediscovered many places just by wandering around the city using those old maps.

Places like the Kasteelpleinstaat (“Castle Square Street”) actually bordered an old castle that is long gone. Or the triangular Antwerp City Park was once part of the city’s fortifications.